WATCHDOG REPORT VOL.24 NO.93 February 9, 2025:EST: 05.05.00 – Celebrating almost 25-years of free weekly publishing: A education resource without the attitude
WATCHDOG REPORT
Miami-Dade, Fla.
Vol.24 No 93, February 9, 2025, Celebrating May 5th2000: 25-years of free weekly publishing! www.watchdogreport.net & Former Miami Herald featured, news reporter & education resource & news service, without the attitude.
>>> Just because you do not take an interest in politics does not mean politics will not take an interest in you. –Pericles (430 B.C.)
>>> ARGUS REPORT: HEARD SEEN ON THE STREETS
>>> Another scandal for Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo and Bay Front Park Trust hires law firm associated with former commissioner Marc Sarnoff (who is also representing the city in the Flagstone suit), to defend him in the suit. Carollo has become a legal liability to Miami and one commissioner Gabela wants to remove him from Bayfront Park Trust, that has faced numerous scandals over the years, and in 2001 was under investigation. The man is a legal liability as law costs going, to millions, during his time on the commission.
What about Alex Diaz de la Portilla, after winning corruption case?
“Make America Great Again,” underneath Alex Diaz de la Portilla’s name refrigerator magnet people got in the mail recently as he prepares to possibly run for Miami mayor, and the disgraced politician who won his corruption case is looking to run again for a Miami office it seems by this campaign piece.
STATE OF FLORIDA
>>> Florida Lt.Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, has been tapped as interim FIU president, continuing politicians overseeing state public institutions, as reward and sig. pay bump. The WDR knew her when she was at PHT, as legislative lobbyist for the public hospital system, and did a good job under trying circumstances. She has two degrees from FIU, and is hoped to bring more funding to the university vital too Miami and the state.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
>>> State of the Arts in Miami-Dade County is well, said Mayor Daniella Levine Cava Thursday at her arts ceremony Thursday, hosted by lobbyist Al Dotson,
Brian May chairman of the cultural affairs council. The Arsht Center along with a host of others have made Dade no longer a “cultural arts dessert,” to a vibrant hub of cultural activity generating some $1.5 billion in tax revenue, said May also a lobbyist.
PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST
>>> Jackson Health System seeking $250 million revenue bond, for “neglected infrastructure,” roofing air handling needed upgrades, said CEO Migoya, and approved by county commission Tuesday
CITY OF MIAMI
Commissioner Damiam Pardo (net worth $3.405 million) has been a thorn in some of the commissioners’ side, and is fighting to stop the city’s modified tree ordinance.
COMMUNITY EVENTS: The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse
591 NW 27th Street: Miami, FL 33127margulieswarehouse.com The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse591 NW 27th Street Miami, FL 33127
I will be back next week but in need of new funding and hope to be in better writing shape, wish me luck and some financial support this week, thank you Dan Ricker. And trying to get the format right, and see you next week since m sister is visiting for a time. Go Eagles in the Super Bowl!
STATE of FLORIDA
>>> The Florida Attorney General’s Office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit secured more than $2.2 million for the Florida Medicaid program from Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. Acadia, a health care provider based in Tennessee, alleged to have violated the Federal False
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
The State of the Arts in Miami-Dade County is well, said Mayor Daniella Levine Cava Thursday at her arts ceremony Thursday, hosted b lobbyist Al Dotson, Brian May chairman of the cultural affairs council. The Arsht Center along with a host of others have made Dade no longer a “cultural arts dessert,” to a vibrant hub of cultural activity generating some $1.5 billion in tax revenue, said May also a lobbyist.
The Children’s Trust has also played an important role in exposing young people to the arts, said May. He also noted Gov. Ron De Santos in his preliminary budget has $27 million dedicated to the arts, said May and urged people to support the bill and keep the funding after being zeroed out last year in the state budget by the governor. The Knight Foundation has been a major cultural arts accelerator over the decades, and around the nation.
>>> Will new constitutional officers hamper mayor Cava’s cost be cutting in falling tax dollars after federal funds gone?
MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The school board Audit and Budget review committee is holding a meeting April 4, at the district’s school administration building. This committee made up of accountants CPA’s is the community firewall but that was always not the case with political appointees and was not a good watchdog for the community but that changed after I hammered the board members back then and is a solid committee for the community. To see the agenda go to: http://api.dadeschools.net/WMSFiles/23/pdfs/24-25/AC_February_4_2025/Agenda.pdf
PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST
>>> Jackson Health System seeking $250 million revenue bond, for “neglected infrastructure,” roofing air handling needed upgrades, said CEO Migoya, and approved by county Tuesday
The county commission approved this revenue bond on Tuesday at the BCC without fanfare. After the public system got its confidence back with taxpayers after years of losing money in past decades, but has changed under the leadership of CEO Carlos Migoya over the past12-years.
CITY OF MIAMI
>>> The city of Miami has moved to change recycling and bulky waste pickup and is expected to be vigorously challenged by the public this Thursday. Miami also has a need to watch building sites doing work on Saturday’s. I have lived cross such activity where workers put non-trash items in my garbage can and the workers are quick to tell you don’t want trouble as they take over the street, saying they know your schedule
STATE OF FLORIDA
PRESS RELEASE: —The Florida Attorney General’s Office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit secured more than $2.2 million for the Florida Medicaid program from Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. Acadia, a health care provider based in Tennessee, alleged to have violated the Federal False Claims Act and the Florida False Claims Act by submitting false or fraudulent claims for inpatient behavioral health care to Medicaid and Medicare.
Acting Attorney General John Guard said, “Our Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, along with its colleagues in several states, has yet again done terrific work, holding accountable a health care company that sought to receive funds from the public that it was not entitled. As they do every day, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit will investigate, prosecute and recover public funds from those that engage in waste, fraud or abuse.”
The agreement resolves allegations that the defendant’s facilities admitted patients who were not eligible for inpatient treatment. It also resolved claims that Acadia failed to discharge patients who no longer needed inpatient care, leading to longer than needed inpatient stays. In addition, the settlement resolves allegations that the company provided inadequate staffing and failed to adequately train or supervise staff, resulting in patient harm.
The investigation and settlement started from two qui tam, or whistleblower actions, originally filed in April 2017 in the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Tennessee and the Middle District of Florida under the federal False Claims Act and various state false claims statutes. The states of Georgia, Michigan and Nevada also conducted investigations of Acadia.
As part of the overall settlement, the State of Florida will receive $2,289,565.53 in restitution and other recoveries.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
>>> Will new constitutional officers hamper mayor Cava’s cost be cutting in falling tax dollars after federal funds gone?
County Mayor Daniela Levine Cava in her State of the County speech recently stated with revenues tight after federal dollars were being depleted that she is pushing efficiencies in the county administration even though hiring many employees in her first term.
THE WDR has watched county government for 24-years, and while fire and police do a good job with the new constitutional offices and consolidations millions can be saved by not changing the seals of the new officers’ that when Ken Jenne in Broward was elected it cost $7 million to change all the police cars that all had his name on them and these new officers’ they must be cost effective in creating their new officers and the money.
PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST
>>> Jackson Health System seeking $250 million revenue bond, for “neglected infrastructure,” roofing air handling needed upgrades, said CEO Migoya, and $250 million Rev. bond approved by BCC Tuesday, for facilities maintenance.
Wednesday’s Trust board meeting was an eventful event. CEO Carlos Migoya announced the appointment of a new COO David Zambrana, R.N., MBA., Ph.D., and the man a nurse with an MBA and Ph.D. is a trusted member of Jackson’s management team said, Migoya to the board.
He also announced that the health system was requesting the county commission to support a new revenue bond. Of $250 million for the Jackson campus and the last revenue bond was in 2005. The public health care system was approved a $830 million GOB. The new funding will integrate the Cerner technology critical to patient safety, and other dated technology, said Migoya.
Migoya said for every one dollar of the bond by leveraging revenues $2.00 was returned to the trust he said. The new revenue bond is because of “capital neglect,” over the years. The trust in 2005 had some $500 million in capital needs and could not finance such needs. Migoya a former banker was reviewed by the trust chair Amadeo Lopez-Castro, III, whose father was a past chair of the health trust in 2002.
What about the CEO’s review?
Lopez-Castro did the review with others of Migoya and Castro said he received the “highest rating,” for Migoya who not only turned around the beleaguered institution but worked closely with nursing and physician staff.
He also partnered with medical staff and nurses and uplifted public healthcare for the institution that had the reputation of where “the poor went to die,” was the popular perception for years and that has changed with the voters passing the bond years ago and created new updated facilities including a much-needed rehabilitation facility. If one went into the basement in Jackson before the bond it was frozen in turn of the previous century technology.
CITY OF MIAMI
>>> The city of Miami has moved to change recycling and bulky waste pickup and is expected to be vigorously challenged by the public this Thursday. Miami also has a need to watch building sites doing work on Saturday’s. I have lived cross such activity where workers put non-trash items in my garbage can and the workers are quick to tell you don’t want trouble as they take over the street, saying they know your schedule
SPONSERS:
Published on September 9, 1999, Page 1EA, Miami Herald, the (FL)
CITIZEN ADVOCATE’ KEEPS TABS ON POLITICIANS
Published on January 3, 2000, Page 1B, Miami Herald, the (FL)
MIAMI-DADE WATCHDOG WILL BE MISSED
Published on January 20, 2003, Page 1E, Orlando Sentinel, PAPERWORK TIGER, Miami’s citizen watchdog piles up government files in his quest to keep the “little people” informed. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2003-01-20-0301190045-story.html
>>> Watchdog Report publisher named ‘Best Citizen’ 2003 by the Miami New Times
The publisher would like to thank the weekly alternative paper Miami New Times for bestowing their 2003 Best of Miami, ‘Best Citizen’ award to me and I am honored. Thank you. To read the full story go to http://www.miaminewtimes.com/best-of/2003/people-and-places/best-citizen-6399517
>>> And to support the WDR go to my Pay Pal account that is easy to use and right now would be a great time: http://paypal.me/WatchdogReport
Further, if you would rather send a check send it made out to Daniel Ricker and mail it to 3109 Grand Ave., #125 Miami, Fla. 33133. Thank you, Dan.
>>> And having a member of the press at public meetings gives teeth to the Florida Sunshine Law (and why you get a Flu Shot) and open meetings tape recorded keeps good governance in place and reduces waste fraud and abuse, and public corruption, and is why you don’t speed in front of a state trooper for example. And hope you can support the WDR efforts to have informed residents of public institutions issues, in our community.
>>> Further the www.watchdogreport.net in South Florida is an established news service presence, because most people are too busy to go to these important meetings., and all the information comes through me as a central point allowing me to see things at a 100-mile altitude and being an early warning system when projects have overruns or other issues. But my job is to sound the alarm and I have done so many times over the past years in a host of ways.
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